This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Reply to article  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Walter Armin Brown, MD; Thomas Laughren, MD; Edith Chisholm, RN; Bradford W. Williams

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1982;39(9):998-1000.

Abstract
• Relapse occurs in a substantial proportion of schizophrenic patients treated with neuroleptics. The determinants of relapse have been elusive. In our study, low serum neuroleptic levels identified patients who had a relapse during a six-month period. Neuroleptic levels were measured by radioreceptor assay in 61 schizophrenic men and their clinical status was assessed in the subsequent six months. Ten patients had relapses, four showing a worsening of chronic psychotic symptoms and six showing eruption of psychotic symptoms after a period of remission. These ten patients had significantly lower normalized neuroleptic levels than those whose conditions remained stable. The lowest neuroleptic levels occurred in patients who had relapses after a period of remission. Serum neuroleptic levels in drugresponsive patients appear to be a critical determinant of remission. If these observations are replicated, a rational basis may be provided for prescribing and monitoring neuroleptic treatment and perhaps for preventing relapse.

Author Affiliations
From the Veterans Administration Medical Center (Drs Brown and Laughren, Ms Chisholm, and Mr Williams) and the Brown University Program in Medicine (Drs Brown and Laughren), Providence, RI.

Footnotes
Received Nov 10, 1981; accepted for publication March 31, 1982.

Reprint requests to VA Medical Center Davis Park, Providence, RI 02908 (Dr Brown).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Prediction of Relapse in Schizophrenia
Lieberman et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1987;44:597-603.
ABSTRACT  

Haloperidol: Plasma Levels and Prolactin Response as Predictors of Clinical Improvement in Schizophrenia: Chemical v Radioreceptor Plasma Level Assays
Smith et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1984;41:1044-1049.
ABSTRACT